One eight-year-old boy out of the nearly 100 children creating gingerbread houses from crackers, candies and frosting Monday afternoon at Walter Woodward Elementary School was also memorializing the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., in his own way by wearing an important color scheme to school.

A team of Santa's helpers – Manteca Police and other city workers – brought their own children with them to the Manteca Target store Sunday morning to shop for youngsters who might otherwise not have much of a Christmas.